There are several different airports that you can fly into to start your ultimate Arizona Road trip. Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Tucson, and Las Vegas airports are all nearby options. Grand Canyon airport flights are limited and expensive. We chose to fly into Las Vegas because the direct flight to Vegas from Birmingham was cheap (and I had plans in Vegas after our trip).
In Vegas, we picked up our rental car, hit Walmart for some supplies, and headed to our first stop, the Grand Canyon. Our road trip route was as follows:
2 nights Grand Canyon ->1 day in Flagstaff, AZ -> 2 nights Sedona, AZ -> 1 night in Vegas
Grand Canyon National Park
Where to stay
Hotels Near The Grand Canyon:
- The Red Feather Lodge or other nearby hotel in Tusayan, AZ (just outside the park’s south entrance)
- $135 per night
- 2 miles from the south entrance into the park
- If you book ahead of time you can stay IN the park at either: Yavapai Lodge or Thunderbird Lodge
Where to camp at The Grand Canyon:
- For the adventure of a lifetime, stay at the base of the Grand Canyon at Phantom Ranch. This is the only hotel at the base of the Grand Canyon. It is accessible only by foot or mule down either the Bright Angel Trail or the South Kaibab trail. To stay here, you must enter a lottery over a year in advance: Phantom Ranch Lottery (grandcanyonlodges.com)
- You can also camp at the base of the Grand Canyon at Bright Angel Campground for which you’ll have to apply for a backcountry permit at least 4 months in advance. Must have backpacking equipment and the ability to hike down into the canyon with supplies on your back as well as back up the 7 miles/5000 feet of elevation with supplies
- Backcountry permit available here: Backcountry Permit – Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Yes, you must print the form, fill it out, and email or fax it in.
What to do at The Grand Canyon:
1. Watch sunrise at Mather Point
- You likely won’t be alone on this one, but still- it’s incredible. Plus, if you do things right you’ll be in the park at sunrise time anyway to beat the crowds
- Follow signs from the parking lot to Mather Point- it’s a very short walk – the view is almost visible from the parking lot
2. Hike the South Kaibab Trail
- Hike the South Kaibab trail out as far as you feel. The entire hike: South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch will take you 7 miles down to the base of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River is. It is highly recommended to NOT hike to the base of the canyon and back up in one day. The total hike is 14.3 miles and 4,872 feet of elevation (nearly straight up for 7 miles).
- The trail is un-shaded and temperatures get quite hot especially in the warmer months. I recommend either planning in advance and getting permits to camp at the base of the canyon before starting your journey back up, staying at Phantom Ranch, or hiking only part of the trail before heading back up.
- We hiked to Skelton Point and back (6.3 miles total, 1,978 feet of elevation). Here we were able to catch a glimpse of the Colorado river as well as beautiful canyon views. For a shorter hike, go to Ooh Ahh Point and back (1.7 miles total, 682 feet elevation). For a bit longer hike, go to Tip Off Point and back (8.9 miles total, 3254 feet elevation). The South Kaibab trail can be icy in places depending on the time of the year. During March, when we visited, the trail was a bit icy at the start- we were able to do it without crampons, but they might have been helpful.
3. Sunset at the Rim Trail near McKee Amphitheater
Where to Eat at The Grand Canyon
- Food options near the Grand Canyon are limited
- There are a few steakhouses, a Wendy’s, and a Pizza Hut. We ate dinner at Wagon Wheel Saloon in the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel for dinner. They had local beer on tap, fun cocktails, the food was filling and cheap, we never had to wait to be seated, and they had free WiFi.
Flagstaff, AZ
We left the Grand Canyon early the next morning and headed towards Sedona, AZ where we would stay the next 2 nights. We decided to spend the first half of our day in Flagstaff, AZ. At just an hour away from the Grand Canyon, it is halfway between the Grand Canyon and Sedona. We ate brunch at The Toasted Owl Café in downtown Flagstaff which was fantastic! The café is an eccentric little place with delicious food and vegan options.
We then walked around downtown, popping into several art stores and grabbing beer at Mother Road Brewing and Lumberyard Brewing. If time permits, check out the historic Hotel Monte Vista and grab a drink in the hotel bar before walking around the nearby Heritage Square. Hotel Monte Vista’s bar was closed when we were there, but we did walk around the square where we enjoyed live music on the patio. After a few short hours in Flagstaff, we hit the road to check into our hotel in Sedona.
Sedona, AZ
Where to Stay
- Andante Inn of Sedona
- $150 per night
- 3 miles to Devil’s Bridge Trail and very close to some of the best hikes
- Room was comfy and the pool is very nice with Red Rocks views from the patio
- Free grab and go breakfast in the hotel lobby
Where to Eat
- Without a doubt, our favorite area to go for eating, drinking, and shopping in Sedona was the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village – this picturesque shopping and entertainment center has beautiful Spanish style architecture, sycamore trees, and cottonwood vine walls surrounding a central courtyard area where we enjoyed live music while eating decadent dessert from a nearby bakery
- Within this area, we enjoyed Oak Creek Brewery for lunch and some of the most delicious beer! Make sure to get their mini stein flight and try all of their beer.
- Across the street, we had a lovely dinner at Creekside Bistro. Make sure to make reservations for the patio so you can dine while enjoying Red Rock Views. The wine selection was exceptional and I highly recommend the Bruschetta Board appetizer
- On our first night in Sedona, we made reservations for a winery tour at Page Springs Cellars. The tour was amazing! At about $30 per person, we were led through the vineyards and the cellar by a very knowledgeable guide who educated us on the wine and winemaking done here. We enjoyed tastes of 6 different wines including one straight from the barrel in the cellar. The whole experience was amazing and we stayed afterward to grab a pizza and eat dinner on the back patio of the vineyard as the sun set. Delightful! There are several other vineyards nearby that offer similar tours. You can also sign up for a guided Winery Tour of Sedona through Sedona Wine Adventures
- I have also heard great things about Mariposa Latin Inspired Grille which apparently has great food and great views but requires reservations in advance
Must do Hikes
I’ll start off by sharing a piece of advice… Sedona is very crowded. There are so many people hiking in Sedona that the parking lots for trails fill up very early in the morning. The more popular hikes such as Devil’s Bridge, Birthing Canyon, and Boynton Canyon were the worst.
We remedied this issue by waking up before sunrise each day to start our hikes. We would beat the crowds out, hike from about 6/7am until 1pm and then return to the hotel for lunch and a good nap. Then as crowds once again began to die down in the evening, we would go back out for a sunset hike. This plan worked perfectly and we were able to do all of the hikes we wanted to without running into issues with parking.
Devil’s Bridge
- 3.9 miles
- 521 feet elevation
- the BUSIEST trail in Sedona
- We woke up extra early for this one, starting the trail in the dark with headlamps on and moving pretty quickly as we hiked out to the bridge but still, when we got to the bridge just after sunrise there was a line of people waiting to take a photo on the bridge. Thankfully, most people up there were fairly considerate and took their turn on the bridge before allowing the next group to go. It wasn’t really what I expected and not exactly the “special” moment you would hope for at the bridge; however, the view is beautiful and hike isn’t too bad.
- Devils Bridge Trail – Arizona | AllTrails
Bear Mountain
- Not as busy. We were able to get a parking spot in the lot around 9am. Make sure to buy a parking pass at the kiosk in the parking lot, $5
- 4.9 miles
- 1975 feet of elevation
- DIFFICULT
- This trail was extremely taxing. There are several false summits but you are not at the end until you see the “End of Trail” sign. The trail is well marked with white arrows on the ground along the way. Just follow these and you’ll be good. Take lots of breaks. This hike is a stair-climber but the views are incredible. At the summit, walk to the North side and you can see Flagstaff’s San Francisco peaks (including Mt. Humphrey’s, the highest mountain in Arizona)
- Pack snacks and lunch to have at the summit
- Bear Mountain Trail – Arizona | AllTrails
Birthing Cave
- 2 miles
- 291 feet elevation
- Remember to respect the history of this place. It is sacred to many. The indigenous Hopi people once sent their pregnant women to the Birthing Cave to give birth. The women would hike up to this cave right before going into labor and sit, wait, and pray until their child was born. Be mindful of people in the cave praying and meditating.
- Parking is very limited at the Long Canyon trailhead. There is no parking lot. We parked on the road. We had no issue finding a spot at around 6pm. With the trail being only 2 miles long total, we were able to hike out to the cave, enjoy the most amazing sunset, and walk back to the car during blue hour before the sunlight was completely gone. Not to mention, we enjoyed sunset with only TWO OTHER PEOPLE in the cave. For me, this was the highlight of the time we spent in Sedona.
- Birthing Cave – Arizona | AllTrails
Boynton Canyon
- 7.3 miles total
- 1167 feet elevation
- Moderate difficulty
- There are several different routes to take here. You can stay on the main trail and go down and back for the full 7.3 miles. Or, you can add 1 mile to your route by taking a right at Boynton Vista Trail, about 0.5 miles into Boynton canyon trail.
- Here you’ll walk about 0.5 miles down to Boynton Vortex which is one of Sedona’s many Vortexes – areas of concentrated energy rising from Earth. Some believe that the vortexes are a portal for celestial and terrestrial spirits; you may feel a range of sensations from a slight tingling on exposed skin, to a vibration emanating from the ground when you encounter a vortex.
- I highly recommend experiencing at least one Vortex while in Sedona. At Boynton Vortex, there was a man on top of the large rock playing music and singing spiritual songs of encouragement for all those around. People were mediating and praying. Some were, like us, just observing and hoping to feel something.
- The last and final option for hiking at Boynton Canyon is to try and hike to/find “the subway”. Taking a right at the “alligator looking tree” and stepping over a fallen tree to the right will get you headed in the right direction. I feel it would be wrong to share the exact route to this place as it is considered extremely sacred and I wish to preserve its integrity as much as possible. If you do find it, you won’t be disappointed at all
- Boynton Canyon Trail – Arizona | AllTrails
Las Vegas
We stayed in Las Vegas our last night just because Kyle had an early flight the next morning. I’m not going to go into the “what to do’s” of Las Vegas, because that’s a post unto its own; however, as we are on the subject of outdoor adventures, I recommend a day at Lake Mead/ the Hoover Dam.
When we were in Vegas a friend of mine rented a boat on Lake Mead for the day and we had a blast wakeboarding and enjoying the water and the sun. She rented the boat from the Marina at Lake Mead and it was equipped with everything we needed- cooler, wakeboard, knee board, stereo.
Also, make sure to visit Red Rock Canyon- just 30 minutes outside of downtown Vegas for hiking and rockclimbing.
Happy travels!
-Alanna